How To Market A Company After You Buy It

Buying a business is one of the best ways for someone to become their own boss. There are many different things to remember when it comes to buying a business. First of all, the legal step when buying a business is to sign a contract with the price that is agreed on. Although that sounds simple in theory, there are other things to keep in mind during this process. There are many contract agreement forms that must be signed before the business can officially be turned over. 

Marketing the new business is something that many people do not understand. Here are several tips in marketing for anyone who has just bought a new business.

Invest Early

It is vital to invest in marketing early on in the process. When buying a new business, it can be tempting to simply put all of the time and energy into getting the business up and running again. However, marketing needs to be considered an essential future component of running the business. 

There are many people who understand this and have had success. With all of the different technology available today, there is no excuse not to leverage this into something larger in terms of marketing.

Use Social Media

Social media is one of the best things a business can have when it comes to spreading the word about its products and services. However, social media must be used correctly in order to have leverage with customers. Simply producing content is not enough to drive the results that are needed. Always make sure to take a targeted approach to social media when trying to attract your customers. This focused effort will pay off over the long run.

Thank You Notes

Many people forget about the power of thank you notes in our new world of technology. However, this is one of the best ways to make your company stand out from the rest. Especially when first starting out, this can be a great way of letting customers know of the business transition after the purchase. Once your customer base grows to a certain level this will not be possible, but until then this is a great gesture to make towards customers.

Build a Website

If your company does not already have a website in the purchase agreement, make sure that you start building one the moment you take over. A website is an essential marketing tool in today's world. Anyone who wants to reach the most customers they can needs to make sure their website is as high quality as possible.

Treat Customers Right

The best marketing tool that anyone new business owner can have is to simply treat customers the right way. If customers have a great experience with a company, they have a much better chance of coming back to do business with them against. Over the long term, the most successful companies are those that treat customers the right way.

About the Author: Tully Rickets is a writer with interests in healthy living and marketing. When he's not blogging about healthy behaviors, he enjoys researching ideas for his marketing website from many blogs and websites.

Online And Offline Marketing Strategies That Make a Difference

Today's world tends to be one of extremes, particular in terms of business; rather than focusing on both online and offline marketing, companies will do one or the other. However, it's important to combine your efforts. When you market online, do it offline as well. A marketing campaign that combines both online and offline elements are more effective, cost-efficient, and successful than one that focuses only on one or the other.

1. Embrace the hashtag
Hate it or love it, the hashtag is here to stay. The key to successfully using a hashtag is to remain consistent in your usage; make sure to use the same hashtag each and every time across all platforms. Use it on your offline marketing materials as those online. Within time, your business will become known for that specific hashtag, even though you have no 'real' ownership of it. .

2. Content In the online world, content is king. The same applies offline. By providing helpful, high-value content to visitors of your website, you give them a reason to return time and time again. Your offline efforts should be to direct users to the relevant pages online. A marketing strategy example of this is to send purchasers of a garlic press to your company's Pinterest page or blog for recipes that use garlic. .

3. Check-In on mobile devices People love to announce where they are online. It's the modern-day status symbol. That said, you can easily make use of this by having customers check-in when they're at your store. Offer a small discount at checkout if they can prove they've checked in. Not only will this encourage more people to do so, but you'll receive free advertising and social proof online as a result. It can be as easy as hanging up a fence sign that says, "Check in on Facebook here!" This is an even more effective strategy if you run a trendy store like a coffee shop. .

4. Use custom URLS By using custom URLs, you can track your efforts and find out how much of your traffic is coming from your offline efforts. Bit.ly and other websites allow you to create customized, short URLS that are easy for users to enter but provide you with the information you want: how many people used that URL to find your website. For example, if you're preparing a campaign for the upcoming holiday season, a cloth banner printing with your URL on it will let you track how many looked for more information through that URL. .

5. Use QR codesMuch like check-ins, QR codes can be used to offer discounts, display more information about a product, and much more. Over 50% of web traffic is from mobile devices, and people never leave home without their phones. By ensuring you include QR codes in all of your offline marketing material, you can grab your customer's attentions and direct them to your online presence.

It's important to make use of every marketing avenue available to you. By mixing both your online and offline strategies, you reach out to two separate demographics and create a more coherent marketing strategy. Developing a marketing plan that makes use of both offline and online elements can give you an edge over other companies in your sphere that haven't yet caught on.

About the Author: Tully Rickets is a writer with interests in healthy living and marketing. When he's not blogging about healthy behaviors, he enjoys researching ideas for his marketing website from many blogs and websites.

Bridging the Gap between Traditional and Digital Marketing

Inbound marketing has been a real game-changer for the world of advertising. Brands and agencies are realizing that traditional marketing tactics are no longer enough on their own: while traditional methods still play a significant role in any brand's marketing strategy, it's important to bridge the gap between traditional and digital marketing. On the surface, it may not seem easy to tie the two together, but it's actually possible to create a synergistic approach where your online and offline methods lead into each other to stimulate conversions. Incorporating digital strategies into your overall marketing solution can help your company increase brand awareness, expand your customer base, and retain your existing customers. Let's take a look at the differences between traditional and digital marketing, and see how they can work together to create a cohesive marketing strategy.

Traditional Marketing

Traditional marketing efforts are conducted through offline channels, such as television, radio, print, telemarketing, and direct mail. These campaigns generally require a high degree of planning, involving detailed demographic research. They revolve around the well-known "4 Ps" of marketing: price, product, placement, and promotion. Traditional marketing usually has a longer time frame for execution than digital efforts, and are more expensive overall.

Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing efforts are quite different from their traditional counterparts. With a short life cycle and nearly instantaneous feedback, they can give marketers a targeted, detailed look at consumer behavior, demographics, purchasing habits, and interests. Messaging can be executed on a real-time, one-to-one basis, creating a level of engagement that's impossible with traditional methods. These inbound strategies are invaluable to marketers as a tool to attract, engage, and ultimately convert customers.

Creating Synergy

Traditional and digital (inbound) marketing efforts can work in tandem to create a powerful conversion cycle. For example, QR codes can serve as an effective bridge between traditional and digital campaigns. These codes can be added to print advertising, business cards, and even product packaging. Accessible to anyone with a smartphone and a barcode-scanning app, they can link to your website, blog, product videos, or contact information. Linking them to any of your company's social media properties is an easy way to increase your following.

Even direct mail, a staple of traditional marketing, can make the leap into the digital realm. Companies can use email mailing lists to enhance, or even replace, their existing direct mail efforts. Email boasts multiple advantages over traditional mail for marketing purposes:

--It's easier to respond to
--It's a better choice for brief messages, like follow-ups and confirmations
--It's a better choice for sending reminders

No matter what methods you use to integrate traditional and inbound marketing strategies, it's important to keep a few things in mind. Your traditional and inbound campaigns will work best if launched simultaneously, so that they can support and lead into each other. As your campaign progresses, you can reduce your costly traditional media schedules while continuing to draw visitors through your more budget-friendly inbound marketing efforts. Remember to keep your brand's message, as well as the look and feel of the materials, consistent between both mediums. As you receive and analyze feedback on your inbound efforts, be sure to make the appropriate adjustments to your web-based tactics.

It's clear that traditional and digital marketing methods might appear quite different in their tactics, but they share the same goal: to attract leads, create conversions, and increase brand awareness. Integrated correctly, these two types of marketing can seamlessly lead into each other and streamline the conversion process. Try bridging the gap in your own company's marketing strategy, and watch your bottom line grow.

Special thanks to our guest post writer Rick Delgado. Rick is a technology enthusiast and former direct mail marketer. He's recently taken a step back from a successful career to pursue his passion for writing.

15 Internet Marketing Stats of 2013

Creating a unique and compelling content marketing campaign is becoming increasingly important for modern brands that hope to distinguish themselves. With social media, high-speed Internet and mobile devices reaching a larger audience all the time, we’re witnessing a paradigm shift in the way that products and services are marketed.

Below are 15 marketing statistics from the past year. Some might surprise you, while others might be familiar from previous years

1. The outsourcing of content marketing is becoming increasingly common: 62% of companies now take part in the practice, which represents a 7% increase from last year.

2. The amount of money spent on online content marketing accounts for more than one quarter of the average marketing budget.

3. 72% of shoppers now trust reviews posted online at least as much as they trust personal recommendations from friends and family.

4. It’s now estimated that about 44% of online shoppers use a search engine to begin the shopping process.

5. When it comes to the frequency of posting, marketers see diminishing returns: a brand that posts twice per day receives only 57% as many Likes as it would have if they posted only once per day.

6. It is estimated that by the year 2016, more than half of all the money spent in the retail sector will have been influenced by the web in one way or another.

7. Over the course of the average week, fewer than 0.5% of Facebook users will actively engage with their favorite brands. This handily confirms how important it is for brands to provide the right kinds of content to their audience.

8. 20% of Facebook users have reported purchasing a product or service after seeing an ad or comment about it on the site. Facebook’s targeted ads have gotten a lot of hate, but their success rate continues to climb.

9. The average company only responds to about 30% of feedback provided by fans using social media. This is more than a little bit dispiriting, considering that social media is meant to be a conversation rather than a one-way street.

10. 91% of adult Internet users report using social media websites on a regular basis. In other words, it’s become a nearly inextricable part of our culture.

11. Blogs provide the average brand’s website with 97% more indexed links and a stunning 434% more indexed pages. If you don’t have a blog yet, now is the time.

12. Smartphones now account for more and more online shopping: 64% of smartphone owners now use mobile devices to make purchases online.

13. In an average month, YouTube users watch a total of about three billion hours of video. This confirms how useful it can be for brands to turn their Channels into a destination.

14. Of all smartphone users, 73% report using apps at least once per day to access their favorite social media sites.

15. Of all the accounts on social media websites, approximately 40% of them are spam. 

Special thanks to Alicia Lawrence for today's guest post.  Alicia is a content coordinator for an SEO and web development company and blogs in her free time at MarCom Land. Her work has been published by the Association for Business Communication, Yahoo! Small Business, and Spin Sucks. 

Great Website Marketing Tips You Shouldn't Go Without!

Internet Promotion can be a great way to earn a substantial income. But unless you know how to be successful at web marketing, you may be missing out on an even bigger income. What you are going to read in the following article will help you have a successful career in the affiliate marketing field.

In any internet promotion plan it is important not to push sales on potential customers before they are ready to buy. Selling is not unlike seduction-the goal is to make the customer want to buy of his or her own free will. A sales website should focus on providing seductive information. The option to purchase should always be present but it should always be unobtrusive.

If you are trying to build interest in your online site through your blog, make sure to read the sites of other bloggers. Other blogs will be a great source of inspiration for future posts, as you will be able to see what topics are drawing readers to other blogs and which topics are duds.

Image is everything. When selling something, your photographs need to be of professional quality. No matter how great your product is, people will not be interested if you have amateur-looking photographs. Remember that when shopping online, a person can only go by the picture as a representation of the product, so it needs to be top quality.

Although you've probably read countless tips about title tags and how they relate to Internet promotion, you should also know that these tags will need to be refreshed from time to time. The words and phrases people search change like the weather, so always remember to refresh your title tags every so often.

Successful web marketing isn't just about keeping up with the competition " it's about outshining them. In order to do this, you have to be aware of what they are doing. Check out their website designs and product prices. Read their sales copy to determine its quality and keyword content. Do their sites take a long time to load? Are they consistently offering new services? What kind of external links are they employing? The more you learn, the better prepared you are to use that information to your advantage.

Post all of your articles on your website. This will help your readers and potential clients to know who you are and where to look for you. It adds to your aura of credibility and trustworthiness. Additionally, by adding your good articles to your website, you will attract lots of good, targeted, keyword traffic your way.

Updating content frequently is one of the best things you can do to capture the attention of the search engines. When customers are handed out of date information, they typically assume that the site is not viable or doing well. They will not waste their time on sites like this. A website that is regularly updated and working well encourages visitors.

As was stated in the beginning of the article, a person can earn a large income by web marketing. In order to make the most possible money, you have to know the ins and out of website marketing. Use the advice that was provided to you in the above article, and you will be astounded by the money you can make.

1 Million Views on the Marketing Blog

Today marks a significant milestone in the Marketing Blog's evolution.  We've hit a total of 1 million views since the blog started a number of years ago.  Special thanks to all of my avid followers and those seeking information on marketing, online marketing, and everything in between.

Marketing is continually changing and evolving.  I'm so glad that blogs have finally come into their own.  If you don't have a blog I encourage you to follow, participate, and even start your own.  There's nothing like sharing your ideas and building community around a particular topic or niche.

I was recently asked about my blogging experience and what topics I like to cover.  That's what's great about blogging, anything goes.  The goal of my blogging is to share my experience, positive or negative, so we can learn together.  Although I've been marketing for 15 years now, I know that things are bound to change - it's the nature of life and marketing.

The biggest change I've seen.

The biggest change in marketing I've seen over the past decade has been digital.  Each year digital marketing evolves and has been accelerated with the utilization of social media in all types of formats (ppc, video, images, etc.).  I'm sure this is bound to change but I think the driver that will continue to instigate the change is mobile.  It's already changed so many things regarding our access to data and customization that I don't see it ending anytime soon.

My goal is to continue to be out in front of these changes and to work with the marketing community to guide the conversation around digital, mobile, and any new form of media we see coming towards us.  Marketing is my life and it's essential for any company or brand who has something of value to provide to others to be on the pulse of marketing change.

How does marketing impact you?
To celebrate our 1 million views, I'd love to hear from you.  How has or does marketing impact you?  What are you focused on as we move into the future?  Any thoughts on how marketing will change or how it can be leveraged to create value for others?

What's great about running a marketing blog is that you can share with others like you and have them share back.  Be sure to provide your thoughts in the comments section below.

Marketing Online: It's All About Content and Community

Wow, things have really changed.  Google Panda, Penguin, and Peanut Butter.  Okay, I don't know what comes after the "Penguin" update but things are certainly going to change.  As I think about marketing online and what will differentiate those who find success (versus those who don't), I can't help but think about key characteristics that drive online success.

The two factors that I believe have the greatest influence on online marketing success - today and well into the future - are content and community.  Sites that produce valuable, original content, are those who will succeed.  Sprinkle in the concept of "community" and you're sure to win.

The sites and online businesses that are creating value today have something with community.  Whether the site is a community itself like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or supports a community in some way, social sharing/community is the future of the Internet.  Heck, it's more than the future, its the key driver of online businesses.

To enhance the effectiveness of your website, blog, or even "app", consider how content and community are playing role.  Are you attracting like minded people to your site?  Are you using engaging, unique content to draw them in?  Are you fostering a dialog that keeps people coming back time and again?  

Before you spend another dollar on content, advertising, or even your next marketing campaign, think about the value of content and community and how it applies to your business!

Changes to the Marketing Blog in 2012

Each new year brings new opportunities and new ideas.  This year is no exception.  In fact, I've been spending quite a bit of time thinking about The Marketing Blog and the changes that can benefit those who read the blog as well as the advertisers that want to reach you.  For those of you who follow my blog, you know that I'm a minimalist when it comes to advertising and I have turned down many advertisers in the past.

Even since the days when I started with online marketing, I've been very careful never to sell names or deal with unscrupulous advertisers.  As a result, people trust me and the content on my blog.  This is important to me and everyone in our community.  I'm always looking for ways to connect audiences with information that may be beneficial though- and this year I'll be updating the blog to bring you more of what you want.

Changes to Design

Overall I'm pretty happy with the design of the Marketing Blog.  What's nice about having your own blog is that you can keep tweaking it until you have something you're really happy with.  I've avoided the "templated" approach as I want something unique that you won't find anywhere else.

My plan is to add some advertising units or take the display ads I currently have for my own services and open them up to more advertisers who provide relevant products and services to the marketing community.  I'm considering some self-service type solutions to provide the flexibility needed to create a win-win situation for everyone.

Additional Content

I'd also like to experiment with additional content.  Whether it's adding access to special reports, marketing magazines, or resources, additional content is important to keep everyone informed about today's marketing landscape.  

I'm also looking for more guest posts this year.  I can sit here and write content everyday all day but no one is an expert on everything.  This is especially true when it comes to marketing.  This year I'll be doing more to attract some of today's leading marketing experts and hope you find the additional content worthwhile.

What's Your Role

I love hearing from all of you - my blog readers.  Let me know what additional content, features, and information you're looking for me to cover this year and I'll find the experts to educate all of us across any marketing related topic.  From mobile marketing to loyalty programs, The Marketing Blog has it covered.

Marketing Lessons From NetCars.com

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Louis Rix, Marketing Director from Netcars.com - one of the world's fastest growing online automotive sites. In this interview, Louis not only provides some insight into how he's winning big with online marketing, but also provides helpful online marketing tips any business can use to increase leads and online sales.

1. Hi Louis, tell us about your current role at Netcars.com?

Currently in my role as marketing director of netcars.com I manage the relationships with our PR Company, SEO Agency and Design Agency (everything passes through me). I work closely with our internal PPC Manager and link building team. I am also responsible for reporting to the board on a monthly basis with all new and ongoing developments.

2. How has Netcars.com changed it's online marketing strategy over the past few years?

We’ve only been established for 12 months. However, in that time we’ve covered a massive amount of ground. We have a very complex PPC campaign that can itemized down to a “T”.  We have also launched Facebook advertising; competitions to grow our fan base and increase website traffic. Twitter has been a great tool for us to use from both a BtoB and BtoC point of view and we’re constantly engaging with our audience. Linkedin Advertising is also used to create brand awareness and drive sign ups. As a business we also invest heavily in natural search. We work alongside a very accomplished SEO Agency but we also have internal link builders.

3. What are the 3 most effective online strategies you've used to fuel Netcars.com's amazing growth?
The 3 biggies are: PPC, SEO, Revenue Share Partnerships.

4. What's the biggest challenge you face when it comes to online marketing?

Staying ahead of the game/competition in natural search. Constantly re-engineering our site from a user engagement point of view.

5. Do you anticipate any significant changes coming to online marketing in the near future?

The huge growth of Social Media advertising and the huge rise in the number of people accessing the internet through their mobile/smart phones is leading to large increases in mobile advertising. Gamification is also a hot topic at the moment.

6. What did you do previously in your professional life that prepared you to be the Marketing Director for Netcars.com?

From 2001 to mid 2010 I ran www.carfinance247.co.uk with my brother Reg. Car Finance 247 is a successful car finance broker/dealer that operates nationwide in the UK. I still own this business with my brother but due to our commitments with our new venture we have a management team in place that control the business and report into us both. While running Car Finance 24/7 I was in control of all online marketing (Affiliate, SEO, and PPC). This is where I learned and honed all of my skills that have enabled me to successfully adapt to my new role.

7. How will Netcars be on the cusp of change for online marketing? Do you plan to join the gamification trend?
At Netcars we’re constantly on the lookout for new, exciting marketing ideas. Gamification is definitely something we’ll be launching in early 2012. We’ll be rewarding “net points” to users (to buy car parts for their digital car) for commenting on blog posts, writing car reviews, participating in the forum and helping our community. The end user is always in the forefront of our minds whenever we make any developments to the Netcars website. We’re going to be working hard on improving the data displayed on our “Used Brand/Model” category pages by adding videos, make/model comparison statistics and an “ask the expert” section.

8. What makes Netcars different than other online automotive sites?
Our motto is “We do things differently” – this is clearly displayed in our unique PPC billing model. We can also move quicker than our larger counterparts. We want to share our data whereas everyone else keeps their stats locked away. We also aim to make the car locating process an exciting one rather than a mundane task.

9. What tips on SEO can you give our readers?
Follow 4 steps:

a. Keyword Research – How do your users search for your product? Do not overlook this important stage. You will uncover “low hanging fruit” (high volume search terms with low competition). There are plenty of keyword research tools out there including Google’s free tool https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

b. Site Architecture – this will be determined by your keyword research. Most importantly you have to make sure your site is accessible to search engine spiders. Once that box has been ticked you need to chart the funnel/architecture from your homepage to every page on your website. Do all relevant sections interlink (allowing link juice to follow)? Make sure you have your most important pages at a maximum of 2 clicks away from your homepage.

c. Link Building – Quality over Quantity! Obtain links from relevant, authoritative partners, sites talking about your products. Obtain guest posts/articles from highly respected websites. Make the most out of your PR efforts – syndicate press releases online (with back links embedded).

d. Constantly engage via Social – Facebook shares and tweets are being indexed by Google and are a ranking factor. Make sure you’re engaging with your audience and offer a wide variety of help and information. If someone has a bad experience on your site or with your product talk to them. Don’t just “sell” yourself on Social Media – people will become bored.

10. What tips on PPC can you give our readers?
First, it’s massively important to be able to quantify your PPC spend. If you can’t track goals you’re screwed as you won’t know what adgroups/campaigns are converting or not. Here are a few more:

a. Test ad copy.
b. Day parting – some days convert better than others.
c. Time parting – some hours of an individual day also convert better.
d. Add sitelinks to your PPC adverts. They increase CTR (click through rate). 
e. Positive reviews. If you have over 30 positive reviews on your product make sure they are coming through in your ads. Again the star seller ratings increase CTR.
f. Use your keyword research to plan out you Campaigns and Adgroups.
g. Constantly manage your bids. Position 3-4 may convert better than position 1.
h. Never give up – you don’t have a business if you can’t make Google PPC pay for you.

Special thanks for the guest post and marketing tips from Louis Rix...

Louis Rix is the Marketing Director for Netcars.com one of the fastest growing online automotive sites in the UK.

New Study: How Online Marketing Drives Growth and Profitability in Professional Services Firms

Online marketing has its roots in consumer and product marketing, so it is not surprising that the professional services have been slower to embrace it. Today, many firms continue to believe that finding new clients is all about relationships and referrals. Well, a new study of online marketing for professional services firms is blowing that theory right out of the water.

This study of 500 firms, supplemented by an expert panel of 20 top digital marketing authorities, uncovers dramatic evidence that could accelerate firms’ adoption of online marketing techniques. Below are seven key findings from the study, which our research team released last week:

1. Firms that generate at least 40% of their leads online grow 4X faster than firms that do not generate any online leads.This fact alone gives firms that embrace online lead generation a tremendous competitive advantage. But the old ways of generating business aren’t obsolete yet. The highest growth rates occur when there is a balance between online and offline leads (40-60% of leads from online sources).

2. Increasing online lead generation boosts profitability for the entire firm. Profitability doubles in firms that generate 60% or more of their leads online. So online lead generation accelerates both growth and profitability. As far as we have been able to determine, this is the first time that correlation has been documented in the professional services. 

3. The effectiveness of online marketing is directly related to the level of usage. We asked the firms to rate 15 popular online marketing tools on two criteria: how much they used them and how effective they were. We found that firms that used the tools more frequently enjoyed better results. Obviously, you can’t dabble in online marketing techniques and expect solid results. 

4. Search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing are driving the success of professional services firms.In terms of overall effectiveness, SEO was rated the top technique by study participants and our panel of experts, followed closely by web analytics, blogging, usability testing and whitepapers. 

This is a powerful combination, and it is well suited to the habits of professional services buyers. Professional services markets are typically very competitive, and the sales process is complex. As a result, buyers are actively seeking education and information. So sellers need a way to be found and distinguish themselves.

5. Social media for the professional services is dominated by LinkedIn and Twitter. These two tools are well established in many firms. YouTube and Facebook have potential, but today they lag well behind in rated effectiveness.

6. Online marketing is also useful in recruiting new employees.Recruiting top talent is an ongoing challenge for many professional services firms. After all, their people are their product. About 55% of firms report recruiting new hires online, while one in four firms hire 40% or more of their people that way. Digital recruiting is particularly strong in the government contracting and technology sectors.

7. Online marketing in the professional services is poised to take off. Consider this. Almost half (46%) of professional services firms have redesigned their website in the last year. For firms that fit our “high growth” profile, the figure is over 85%. In addition, two thirds of firms plan to increase their online marketing budget next year, while less than 1% plan to decrease it. And the average increase in online spending is a hefty 56%. Clearly, momentum is building.

So what does this all mean for professional services firms? I see three big implications.

First, if your firm is not generating new business or new hires from online sources, you are missing out on huge opportunities for growth and profit. Sticking with traditional marketing tactics is not going to be a sustainable strategy. While relationships and referrals remain important, they are — literally — only half of the picture.

Second, even if you are actively involved in online marketing, you have more to do. While there are no silver bullets, the study’s high growth firms and panel of experts revealed many opportunities for average firms to enhance their marketing effectiveness, including SEO, usability testing and webinars.

Third, if you are not aggressively investing in online marketing, you are falling behind. This situation will put you at a growing disadvantage as other firms increase their budgets and, in due course, enjoy greater profits and faster growth. As time passes, it will get more costly and difficult to catch up.

The good news is that it is not too late to get in the game. But the results of this study underscore the need to act quickly. The ROI is there. The model is proven. And the momentum is shifting.

Lee Frederiksen is Managing Partner of Hinge, a firm specializing in branding and marketing for professional services. Lee, who was the Research Director for the online marketing study described in this post, welcomes your comments and feedback.

Three Marketing Tips for Understanding Your Online Audience

Marketing is an ever changing enterprise. As technology continues to influence our business efforts more and more, our marketing efforts to will need to change and adapt. While marketing was at one time all about print images and static advertisements, it has now become fully intertwined with the internet. Online marketing has in many ways become the name of the game for businesses and products everywhere. 

Allowing you to easily reach a vast audience and pinpoint your exact target, the internet is a marketer's dream. While online marketing is a major component of any successful marketing plan, there are many ways to make your online marketing efforts more successful. Follow these three marketing tips to better understand and target your specific audience online. 

How Is Your Audience Using the Internet?One of the most important things to know about your target audience as an online marketer is how they use the internet when they are online. If you can begin to understand how your consumers are using the web then you can come up with a better way to get to them. Does your target audience use the web for work or for entertainment? What are their favorite types of sites to use? All of these questions can help define who your audience is and how to more easily locate them online. 

If your audience uses search engines as their primary transportation around the web, then SEO efforts may significantly benefit your marketing campaign. If you find that your main audience uses social networks as their primary online endeavor, you can find ways to incorporate social media and social networking into your marketing efforts. Knowing how your audience uses the internet will take some time to pinpoint, but will greatly improve your marketing campaign. 

Where Does Your Audience Spend Their Time Online?While this sounds very similar to the last tip, there is distinct difference. Once you know what your audience goes to the internet for, you can work to discover where specifically they spend their time online. Knowing exactly where your target audience hangs out is essential to reaching them. If you have determined that your audience uses the internet for their business and professional lives then you can get a better idea of what sites they use specifically. 

Conversely, if your target audience uses the internet for their social interests, you can focus your marketing around social networks and social hubs. Search Engine Optimization for your marketing sites and marketing pages is always a great bet for any target audience. If you can be visible on the major search engines, you will find a significant amount of your audience there. However, knowing what specific sites your target demographic uses is no doubt a huge marketing advantage. 

What Is Your Competition Up To?Though it may seem somewhat counter-intuitive, knowing and understanding your competition can give you a better perspective on who your target audience really is. Not only is it good advice to know what your competition is up to in general, you can also use this information to evaluate your audience. By researching your competitions' marketing efforts, you can see what their interpretations of your mutual audience is. This can help you figure out who your audience is or help you decide if you are marketing to the right group of people. 

Find your competitors online and see how they are marketing their product or services. You can learn a few things from their techniques and also learn how to be different from the rest. The internet is all about finding a new way to do or show things. If you are just doing the same things as your competitors, it is likely you won't get much further than them. Keep a close eye on your competition and work to find ways to market your services or product in a new way.

Guest post by Mariana Ashley.  Mariana is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com. 

Making Money Online: It's Possible

This morning I was listening to the news and it was depressing: unemployment, protests, war – it’s no wonder why I avoid the news.  But for Internet marketers, this is one of the best times in history to make money online.  Thanks to Internet enabled devices and a hunger for online products, information, and expertise, the market has never been better for making a living online.    

I can tell you that most of us who are marketing today didn’t have a lot to start with.  In fact, many of today’s “super affiliates” are young guys in their 20’s and 30’s who started from scratch.

Personally speaking, I’ve had to deal with many of the same obstacles when I first started promoting products and services online as newbies face today.  But with some experience and a good deal of trial and error, you can make small distinctions that can dramatically improve results. I’ve learned the hard way that you can’t be an expert at everything.  As such, I’ve worked hard to build my network or mentors and resources to learn what works and what doesn’t.  Whether you’re connecting with people via an Internet marketing forum, global success club, or mentor network, it’s easier than ever to find people who can help you overcome many of the obstacles associated with being an Internet marketer.  

Generating Profitable Campaigns

If you’re doing any online advertising, it’s incredibly important that you focus on Return On Investment (ROI).  I’ve learned that maximizing ROI is as much about managing expenses as it is generating revenue.  Working with a mentor or someone who’s already running profitable online campaigns can help you improve your results.  This is especially important when you’re just getting started. If you’re barely managing to break even on your campaigns, the best way to turn it around is to model those who are marketing profitably.  The best, and fastest way to do this, is to find a mentor or network of like-minded people who are already getting results.

One of the techniques that I’ve used to generate profitable campaigns is to focus on small niche markets.  A popular mistake that Internet marketers make is trying to be all things to all people.  If you think you’re going to strike it rich with an info product your first time out, you’re mistaken.  I’m not saying it’s possible, but the odds are certainly against you.  There’s a much better chance of earning a profit if you build a house list around a specific topic (ex: piano repair) and have a specific unique offer.  Your mind should naturally be focused on cornering small markets if you want to succeed.  

Another example would be if you’re looking to promote an information product about dating on a small budget.  First you need to make yourself familiar with the niche markets where it would be possible to generate some profit with highly targeted and low volume, campaign.  Those niche markets might be “Single Parent Dating”, “Dating 40+”, etc. …these are all great distinctions that you should be making before you jump the gun and invest countless hours without any positive return.

Learn From Others

Networking with or leveraging the lessons of heavyweight affiliates is the primary key to success for those who are just starting out in online marketing.  If you can’t compete with their large budgets, compete on a smaller scale.  Don’t try to attract the entire market, focus on a small market niche. Focus on the details!  Many of the top-earning marketers don’t have time to focus on these small markets, meaning there is still money to be made.  This is your opportunity to own a small territory that others aren’t able to cover.

It’s important to make every penny count while you’re still dealing with a small budget.  Look for ways to partner with influencers in your niche through products, interviews, and other content that might add value to their websites or blogs.  In my opinion, it’s really no longer possible to fill your boots with overnight riches by going straight for the kill in huge mainstream markets. You need to operate on the borders, obtain profit where the markets aren’t so flooded, and dig deeper to grow your business.  

Not only is it important to grow your business but growing yourself as a person and Internet marketer will ultimately reap huge benefits for your business.  From my personal experience learning from others has helped a great deal.   I encourage you to work with others to improve your knowledge and mindset.  Learn more about entrepreneurial networks at Global Success.